Glutinous Rice Dumplings (Bak Zhang)

Glutinous Rice Dumplings (Bak Zhang) is a traditional Chinese dish made of glutinous rice stuffed with fillings, traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival (Duan Wu Jie).

Glutinous Rice Dumplings, or known as "Bak Zhang" in Singapore. It is a Hokkien term that translate to meat dumplings. It is a traditional Chinese food that is made of glutinous rice stuffed with fillings, usually meat or beans. It is wrapped in bamboo leaves then steamed cooked or boiled.
It is traditionally eaten on the Dragon Boat Festival (Duan Wu Festival) which is on the fifth day of the fifth month on the lunar calendar. Although Glutinous Rice Dumplings may have originally been a seasonal food, it is now available year round in Singapore and in most major cities that has a significant Chinese community.

Glutinous Rice Dumplings
by Miss Crumbs A Lot, adapted from sethliu.com

Recipe
Ingredients
1 packet 14 oz Bamboo Leaves (soaked in water overnight, drained and wiped dry)
Salt
Water
Cooking Twine Rope

Rice Filling Ingredients
2 cups Glutinous Rice (soaked in water overnight and drained)
3 oz Shallots (thinly sliced)
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Shallot Oil
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp Salt
Dash of Pepper

Meat Filling Ingredients
1 lb Pork Belly (cut into small cubes)
5 Dried Shiitake Mushrooms (soaked in water 1 hour, drained and thinly sliced)
1/2 cup Dried Shrimps (soaked in water 1 hour and drained)
​3 cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
5 Salted Egg Yolks (halved) (optional)
1 tbsp Sugar
1/4 tsp White Pepper Powder (more if you prefer it peppery)
1 1/2 tsp Chinese 5-Spice Powder
1 tsp Light Soy Sauce
2 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Sesame Oil

Cooking Method
1. Marinate pork belly with sugar, white pepper powder, Chinese 5-spice powder, light and dark soy sauce overnight.
2. Heat olive oil and shallot oil in wok over medium/high heat. Add in shallots and stir dry until it is fragrant and golden brown. Remove from wok and set aside.
3. With remaining oil in wok, add in garlic and stir fry until it is fragrant. Add in dried shrimps and continue stir frying until it is fragrant and golden brown.
4. Add in marinated pork belly and mushrooms and stir fry until the meat is cooked through. Remove from wok and set aside.
5. Add glutinous rice into wok and stir fry for a few minutes. Add in fried shallots and season with sesame oil, light & dark soy sauce, salt and pepper. Mix well, remove from heat and set aside.
6. To wrap the dumplings (you may refer to the video below), pick 2 bamboo leaves, place one on top of the other with the smooth part of the leave facing you. Fold it upwards into a cone.
7. Fill the leaf cone with 1 tbsp of glutinous rice mixture, creating a small crater in the middle of the rice for the meat filling.
8. Add in a spoonful of the meat mixture and salted egg yolk, if using.
9. Fill in the rest of the cone leaf with the glutinous rice mixture. Pat in down lightly.
10. Fold the sides of the cone cup in and bring the back leaves over, covering the opening. Flip it over and fold up the remaining leaves. Secure the dumpling with the cooking twine rope. It is helping to leave a long string of rope to assist in holding and placing the dumpling into the pot.
11. Bring a pot of water and some salt to a boil. Insert the dumplings and boil for 1 1/2 hours until it is cooked.
12. Once cooled, you may refrigerate the dumplings for a few days. Steam cook it for 7 to 10 minutes to warm it up before consuming.

Makes 10 Medium Sized Dumplings